So, you traded your cigarettes for a vape, believing that it’s far less harmful than smoking. But a disturbing new study reveals that vaping, even when nicotine-free, can negatively impact vascular function, increasing the risk of heart disease and circulatory issues.

Traditional cigarettes contain thousands of harmful chemicals, tar, and carcinogens. While vaping eliminates many of these toxins, the assumption that zero-nicotine vapes are completely harmless is now being challenged.

If you never smoked before, picking up a vape – even a nicotine-free one – introduces unnecessary risks to your body, according to a recent study.

Researchers compared the effects of nicotine-free vaping to regular vaping and even traditional cigarettes.

But before we share the shocking results, let’s review some basic information about vaping.

What is vaping?

E-cigarettes, commonly known as vapes, are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid to create an aerosol (or vapor) that users inhale. Unlike traditional cigarettes, which burn tobacco and release thousands of harmful chemicals, vapes don’t produce smoke or tar – which is why many people assume they’re a safer alternative.

The juice

E-liquid, or vape juice, is made from a mixture of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, both of which create the thick vapor users exhale. While these ingredients are safe to eat, inhaling them is an entirely different story.

When heated, these substances break down into harmful byproducts that can irritate the lungs and airways, potentially leading to:

• Chronic coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Lung inflammation

Yummy flavors

The flavors that make vaping so appealing – whether it’s fruity, minty, or dessert-like – often contain toxic chemicals. Some of these chemicals include:

• Diacetyl: Linked to a serious lung disease known as popcorn lung
• Benzaldehyde: A common flavoring that can irritate the respiratory system
• Heavy metals: Vape coils can release trace amounts of lead, nickel, and tin into the vapor

Even without nicotine, inhaling these substances over time can cause lung damage and inflammation.

“You’re exposing yourself to all kinds of chemicals that we don’t yet understand and that are probably not safe,” Dr. Michael Blaha told John Hopkins Medicine.

Popular habit

The popularity of vaping is rising, with “more than 2 million U.S. middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2021, with more than 8 in 10 of those youth using flavored e-cigarettes,” according to John Hopkins.